In Buffalo, the Blues’ Joel Hofer made 33 saves in a 3-1 for St Louis over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
“It’s exciting to get the (start in) net,” Hofer said. “Any time you’re in, you obviously want to do good and get a win for the team. I’ve been able to do that and it’s been good.”
The Blues moved to 27-21-2.
“Joel played outstanding,” St. Louis coach Drew Bannister said. “He was outstanding for us there tonight. I thought early on, we played well in front of him, he made the saves when we had some breakdowns that we needed, and I thought we played well in front of him in the third.”
Jake Neighbours hit for a double in the Buffalo win.
“I’m playing with really good players and being put in great opportunities by everyone around me,” said Neighbours, who has 17 goals in 50 games this season after having seven in his first 52 NHL games. “So, I owe a lot of credit to the people I’m playing with, the coaches for trusting me and giving me that ice time, that opportunity. So, it’s kind of just a blessing. I’m trying to take advantage of it.”
The Blues took a 1-0 lead in the opening stanza when Neighbours potted his first of the game at 12:53 off the power play.
“That was just one of those ones where it kind of finds you,” Neighbours said. “And I don’t even really know how I got my stick on it. It was just bouncing, and I tried to take a whack at it and it went in. But you know, that’s my job, being around the net and try and find loose puck.”
The Sabres dropped to 22-25-4.
Kyle Okposo was the lone striker for the Blues.
“I’m surprised,” Okposo said “I mean, it wouldn’t have been where I thought we would be going into the season. Hindsight is 20-20, but I can sit back and look at things that we did, or we didn’t do and there’s a lot of things that go into where we are. That’s going to have a ripple effect, for sure, on our team. We just have to try to find another gear here because time is running out.”
Okposo scored with 51 seconds gone in the middle frame to tie the game, 1-1.
“I’m playing with ‘Tommer’ and [Jeff Skinner], just simple, to the net,” Okposo said. “I know that ‘Tommer’ was using his body to get to the net today and I reaped some rewards from that, but it’s just getting the puck there. We just didn’t do it enough tonight.”
Jordan Kyrou hit for what would be the game-winner at 4:32. of the second for a 2-1 lead.
Neighbours collected his double with just under two minutes left on the regulation clock for the 3-1 final count on the scoreboard.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 23 saves in the loss.
“You go through ups and downs throughout the season,” Skinner said. “… You’ve got to find a way to get out of it and sooner or later we’ll get out of it and have more confidence and the guys will feel good about themselves and things will start to click. It’s just a matter of right now trying to get out of that situation.”
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